Oh look, Meg's alive?! I bet some of you are surprised. I'm here to talk about something near and dear to my heart and soul. That's right... it's getting to be that time of er... every handful of years or so (actually, it's been a while, all things considered) where new consoles are coming out and we get to see just where gaming is going. This is coming about because I just finished watching Sony's reveal of the PS4.

We've gotten a taste of it in the WiiU (which is bombing, by the way, can we guess which company I am not behind this gen?). Finally, Nintendo has taken a step into higher definition in their consoles! They've even got games that were on the bigger two consoles... LAST YEAR! (Mass Effect 3 and Arkham City, most notably.) However, the WiiU seems to not be doing so well and there are a number of reasons why. Allow me to explain a little as to what I feel are the WiiU's issues.

Price. Yes, it's expected for a new next-gen console to be a bit pricey. However, when you factor into the price of the WiiU that what made the Wii so fun was that you could play with more than one person... this is where the problem comes in. (Yes, I am away you can use a wiimote with some of the games) The WiiU itself costs a pretty penny but to get an additional controller outside the one that comes with the console? You're paying for almost another console. I see this as an immense issue for a console that is largely aimed at children who are prone to breaking things. I couldn't even find a price for another gamepad for the WiiU offhand, so I'm wondering if they even sell them or if you have to buy them directly from Nintendo. I don't know and to be frank? I don't care too much. Another issue with the WiiU: lack of games for the core gamers who actually would love to support Nintendo; like myself. I LOVE my Nintendo Handhelds. I haven't LOVED a nintendo console since the N64. (I've heard good things about the gamecube but was already into Sony by then and could've cared less about Nintendo outside of the gameboy, etc at that point) Again, Nintendo is gearing themselves toward a totally casual audience and they're going to get them, sure, but in turn they're going to end up making games of little substance outside of their core characters. But, maybe that's their aim? To make games with as little effort as possible to spew them out for maximum profit? I don't know and I also don't particularly care.

Another thing that the WiiU has in the negative? It's losing it's third-party exclusives left and right. The things they really needed to count on for sales. They've lost several already and I won't be surprised if Bayonetta 2 ends up being multi-platform instead of a WiiU exclusive. One finaly negative about the WiiU: it has sold fewer consoles in the past month than the 360 or PS3 has in their entire run of being available... and yet Nintendo is saying there will not be a price-drop. It's your funeral, Nintendo.

MOVING ON!

Up until the reveal this evening; project Orbis (as the PS4 was codenamed), was something we had a lot of speculation on and little else. We got a glimpse of the controller before tonight's reveal and its appearance was a bit confusing until we had the darn thing explained a bit during the stream. Let me say that my analysis of this stream is going to be slightly biased because before the PS3's weak (in my opinion) launch, I was a sony fangirl then a 360 fangirl and now leaning back toward Sony again.

As of tonight's reveal... I am highly excited for the Playstation 4. However, it's purely pre-emptive excitement. What I've seen tonight has made me happy. Note: I did not get to see the entire stream. I caught the last 40 minutes or so. What I saw was just so awesome though.

Sony isn't letting us down on graphics. They led with graphics last gen, they're going to lead again unless Microsoft really ups their game. The samples shown were just... breathtaking. I am really excited. Not to mention that Bungie (Of Halo fame who was released from their binding contract to Microsoft) displayed their game Destiny and announced it WOULD be on the PS4! This game looks gorgeous and the concept/story that has been revealed so far has me very excited for this game and that it'll be available on the PS4 only affirms the excitement.

The controller was a bit odd to look at initially. It made more sense as it was explained a bit, however, I'm still not entirely sold on the look/shape. It will have motion-controlled functionality and (I am assuming) the six-axis bit the Dualshock3 has on PS3. A system and the games on it depend heavily on the controller and it's wieldiness/functionality... so I'm hoping that when we can actually hold it in our hands and see how it feels that it'll be less awkward than it looks at the moment.

The big two things that have me concerned because they were not mentioned in the reveal stream are: a price point and game functionality (I'll explain this one shortly). Now, the price is estimated in a few places at being around $400. It's a bit steep, but it's also where the PS3 pretty much started at price-wise as well. Since that IS the price the PS3 started at, I'm anticipating it to actually go UP... as much as that makes me want to weep internally. It's going to be a powerhouse of a machine; it's slated to have excellent memory and processing power from the get-go and I believe it because we have the technology to do so readily, even with a console. Plus, Sony has been known for pushing the boundaries for what consoles can do at launch; the PS3 is a great example of this as its ability to process some higher graphics is STILL astounding for a system that is nearly ten years old.

What I meant by game functionality is simply this: Sony and Microsoft (and to a lesser extent, Nintendo) all spoke at E3 about the getting rid of physical copies of games and forcing people to download the games to their system or have a sort of "one use only" game card sort of deal with their systems. They're talking about killing used games. It's money-making ploy, but it would put some gamers who largely buy used games in a bit of a predicament and I know there are people who have stated that it'll be the end of their console gaming if the Big Three go that route. The WiiU has obviously not gone that route, but there's no saying if Sony or Microsoft won't do this with their next-gen consoles yet and that has me worried. I understand they're trying to go with the Steam model, but Steam is (for now) a computer-based gaming platform and to have a bunch of discs you have to constantly switch out on your computer is a bit annoying. However, the unleashing of Steamn's Big Picture mode is a step into bringing PC gaming right to your television, and I am sure that's something the Big Three are looking at with a bit of worry.

Anyway, as of now we've got the WiiU and the reveal of the PS4... now, all we can do is play the waiting game for when Project Durango (as Microsoft has codenamed their next console for now) is finally revealed. I can see this happening before E3. Why before E3 and not at the big show itself? Well, not all the attention would be on it and when you're releasing a new console, it's go big or go home. No, I anticipate an announcement with a stream of the events like Sony did tonight... and I hope they step up to the battle.

As it stands now? The WiiU is tanking financially, the PS4 looks amazing and Microsoft needs to reveal before E3.

It's sort of funny to me how Nintendo sold the most units last gen but it looks like this gen they're going to be trailing in the mud unless Microsoft really screws up. Stick to your handhelds, Nintendo.

As we can see, Meg is crazy and likes video games maybe a little too much. However, it'll be fun to discuss this (I think) and see what other opinions people have. As we know, I'm a crazy opinionated person, but I love a good discussion so... HAVE AT IT.

For those interested in WTF the Ouya is... it's like an open-source (pretty much) console that is in development. Check it out here: http://www.ouya.tv/

I play some video games, not a lot, but just enough for this type of stuff to get my attention... oh, who am I kidding? I play video games whenever I can. And honestly, I'm not really sure on the next-gen consoles. But there are a few things that I want to put out there. First of all, I'm mainly a Microsoft guy. I don't hate Sony, I still play on the PS3, but I just find the 360 to be more... user friendly, especially when it comes to online play. And another thing. When it comes to consoles, I'm always scared of change, especially BIG changes, so I'll have to see the way the consoles work and how user friendly they are before I'm completely sold.

Okay, let's talk consoles.

Regarding the WiiU (and Nintendo in general), it's just not for me. I've never really been into Nintendo except for anything to do with Mario. I just didn't get into it. Plus, I'm not that big of a fan of handhelds.

With the PS4, I have mixed feelings on it. First things first, I don't like the controller at all. I never liked touchscreen, and I definitely don't want it on my controller.

I completely agree with the graphics. They are absolutely gorgeous. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the Killzone trailer, it might as well have been a PC game. And Bungie's Destiny? I cannot wait for that! The graphics are amazing, the concept is actually putting something relatively new into the FPS genre, and Bungie is an excellent developer, especially when it comes to taking feedback from the community. Thankfully, it's going to be cross-platform, but it's also going to be cross-gen. I certainly hope that this doesn't make them miss out with things that next-gen has, but the current gen doesn't.

Now, one of the big things that Sony wants to do with the PS4 is to make it something that you can easily share with others. You're going to able to live stream directly from your console just by the touch of a button, and you can also virtually pass your controller to a friend, pretty much screen sharing. Say you're having trouble with a level. Just share it with your friend, wherever they may be, and they can do it for you. Another thing they want do do with the "Share" feature is make it so you can use your PS4's hardware, but be able to transfer the visuals to your PSVita, making the Vita your controller and screen. They want games to become a more social experience. I think that this concept is AMAZING, but I'll have to see exactly how it works and if it's simple to use before I can truly make a final statement.

Another thing that I think is pretty cool about the PS4 is that it will have a "suspend" mode, where instead of turning your console completely off, it'll keep everything how it is, but using the least amount of power possible. It's like putting your computer on "sleep."

Now, about the game functionality. I certainly hope that they don't get rid of physical copies of games. I just LOVE seeing my Halo games all lined up in chronological order, and I'm going to miss that. Having cases for my games is kind of a big deal to me. And I also despise the fact that they want to get rid of used games. One thing that I really like about being able to share the same copy of a game with others is that I can buy certain games, my friend can buy others, and we just share them. That would just be completely taken away, and I don't like it whatsoever.

When Microsoft reveals their next console, they're going to have to show something pretty amazing, with some really innovative features. But the one thing that both Microsoft and Sony really need to focus on is launch titles. Having really weak games, or games that don't fully exploit the new consoles' capabilities isn't exactly going to help sell their product.

And finally, the only MAJOR issue that I have with price is that I want the next-gen Microsoft console, and my dad wants Sony's. So I have to start saving.

Well, that's pretty much all I have to say. It's 2 in the morning, so if anything I said didn't completely makes sense, please point it out.

Thank you for touching on the things I forgot to in my excitement! Like the touchscreen, etc. I get too excited and my brain goes a mile a minute and I inevitably forget things, so thank you!

I COME BEARING AN UPDATE:Sony has announced that the PS4 will not block the second-hand market! You will be able to share games, swap things, etc! There will be no need to worry about the inability to share games with your friends or have physical copies! (Which, I'm with you on the liking to see my games all lined up and pretty. <3 IT DOES A GAMER HEART GOOD.)

Personally, I still want to know if the console is going to be backwards compatible. Since there is no shift from disc type... I don't think it should be an issue, since that was the main issue and why the PS3 stopped being backwards compatible. Having both types of disc reader or w/e was what was giving people the Yellow Light of Death. So... since the PS4 is going to use blurays, I am sincerely hoping it will be backwards compatible so that... maybe, just maybe, my PS3 can be a down payment on the PS4. >_>;;;

OH! Before I forget! Around the rumor mill for Microsoft's Project Durango... one was that whole getting rid of second-hand gaming thing... which I do not see happening now that the other two of the big three haven't done it, unless they really want to shoot themselves in the foot. Another thing I've heard is that the new Microsoft console will require you to be online to even play it; this is a rumor I've heard going around for a while, and I find it to be a bit bullcrap if they do that. Not everyone, shockingly, has the internet readily available at all times so... that would not be cool. Lastly on the Microsoft end! I've heard that the new Microsoft console? They're going bluray for the discs! Now, I don't know if this has been confirmed, but this means that the bigger games that only need one disc for PS3 (Mass Effect 2 and 3 come to mind) will not need multiple discs like they did on the 360 to get all the content in! Wooo! It also means bluray players for ALL THE GAMERS!

I was toooo excited to hear that Destiny was going to be multi-platform. You have no idea. I have been spying on this game since I heard about it a month or so ago. It's just. Yes. As for suspend mode on the PS4? Love the idea. Also, being able to stream at the touch of a button? GIMME because I've been wanting to do streams/LPs for a while. Yeah.

As for launch titles for the PS4. There are rumors spinning around about them. Watchdogs is going to be cross platform, but I'm expecting Sony to put extra goodies in the PS4 version with Ubisoft because, yeah. I'm not really caring about Diablo III. Square Enix has been dead to me since either KHII or FFXII... whichever came out last. Seriously, XIII and it's sequels/spin-offs are awful. That little "Be excited for us at E3!" was a stupid statement from the Squeenix rep at the reveal because, I will not be excited until you flipping give me a KH game that continues the story more that ISN'T ON A FLIPPING HANDHELD.

Luke. Imagine being me who likes Halo and who liked Uncharted and anything Naughty Dog. Halo and Gears of War: strictly microsoft. Naughty Dog games: strictly sony. I am literally waiting to hear reveals of the big launch titles before I decide which I'm getting first. With any luck, my brother will get one and I'll get the other and we'll just swap back and forth when we want to play exclusives until we each get our own of each. /gamer problems

However, I am leaning Sony and I KNOW he's leaning Microsoft because all of his friends are big Microsoft heads.

I'm still excited. BRING IT, NEXT-GEN.

SECOND UPDATE: Source of Meg-rage. PS4 isn't going to be backwards compatible. This makes zero sense to me. THEY USE THE SAME DISCS. Supposedly the "emulation" would take up all the processing power. I am calling BS. For a console they are lauding as a processing powerhouse? That certainly looks shifty, sony. STRIKE ONE. >_>